Oct 31, 2014

Welcome to the 4 for Friday Blitz for Predator by Janice Gable Bashman, Into the Fire by Ashelyn Drake, Boneseeker by Brynn Chapman, and The Emissary by Kristal Shaff, presented by Month9Books!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post.

“Predator is a fast-paced, creepy page-turner! Bashman had me at the opening sentence and she’s still got me. I want more!”

Nancy Holder, New York Times Bestselling Author, The Rules

The hunt is on!

Sixteen-year-old Bree Sunderland must inject herself with an untested version of her father’s gene therapy to become a werewolf in order to stop a corrupt group of mercenaries from creating a team of unstoppable lycanthrope soldiers.

When Bree went with her scientist father to Ireland, she thought it would be a vacation to study bog bodies. She never expected to fall in love with a mysterious young Irishman and certainly never expected to become the kind of monster her father said only existed in nightmares. Dr. Sunderland discovers that lycanthropy was not a supernatural curse but rather a genetic mutation. When they return home, her dad continues his research, but the military wants to turn that research into a bio weapons program and rogue soldiers want to steal the research to turn themselves into unstoppable killing machines.

Bree’s boyfriend Liam surprises her with a visit to the United States, but there are darker surprises in store for both of them. As evil forces hunt those she loves, Bree must become an even more dangerous hunter to save them all.

Predator gives the werewolf legend a couple of new spins by introducing the Benandanti (an actual folkloric belief that certain families of Italy and Livonia were werewolves who fought against evil), as well as a modern scientific approach to mutation and the science of transgenics.

Janice Gable Bashman is the Bram Stoker nominated author of Wanted Undead or Alive and Predator. She is managing editor of the The Big Thrill (International Thriller Writers’ ezine). Janice lives with her family in the Philadelphia area, where she at work on her next novel. Visit her at janicegablebashman.com.

Seventeen-year-old Cara Tillman’s life is a perfectly normal one until Logan Schmidt moves to Ashlan Falls. Cara is inexplicably drawn to him, but she’s not exactly complaining. Logan’s like no boy she’s ever met, and he brings out a side of Cara that she isn’t used to. As the two get closer, everything is nearly perfect, and Cara looks forward to the future.

But Cara isn’t a normal girl. She’s a member of a small group of people descended from the mythical phoenix bird, and her time is running out. Rebirth is nearing, which means she’ll forget her life up to this point—she’ll forget Logan and everything they mean to one another.. But that may be the least of Cara’s problems.

A phoenix hunter is on the loose, and he’s determined to put an end to the lives of people like Cara and her family, once and for all.

Ashelyn Drake is a New Adult and Young Adult romance author. While it’s rare for her not to have either a book in hand or her fingers flying across a laptop, she also enjoys spending time with her family. She believes you are never too old to enjoy a good swing set and there’s never a bad time for some dark chocolate. She is represented by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary Agency.

Arabella Holmes was born different and raised different. After it became apparent she wouldn’t fit the role of a proper 1900′s lady, her father, Sherlock, called in some lingering favors, and landed her a position at the Mutter Museum. The museum was Arabella’s dream; she was to become a purveyor of abnormal science. What her father called a BoneSeeker.

Henry Watson arrives at the Mutter Museum with a double assignment–to become a finder of abnormal antiquities and to watch over and keep Arabella Holmes. An easy task, if he could only get her to speak to him instead of throwing knives in his general direction.

But this is no time for child’s play. The two teens are assigned to a most secret exploration, when the hand of a Nephilim is unearthed in upstate New York. Soon, Arabella and Henry are caught in a fight for their lives as scientific debate swirls around them. Are the bones from a Neanderthal … or are they living proof of fallen angels, who supposedly mated with humans according to ancient scrolls?

Sent to recover the skeleton, they discover they are the second team to have been deployed and the entire first team is dead. And now they must trust their instincts and rely on one another in order to survive and uncover the truth.

Born and raised in western Pennsylvania, Brynn Chapman is the daughter of two teachers. Her writing reflects her passions: science, history and love—not necessarily in that order. In real life, the geek gene runs strong in her family, as does the Asperger’s syndrome. Her writing reflects her experience as a pediatric therapist and her interactions with society’s downtrodden. In fiction, she’s a strong believer in underdogs and happily-ever-afters. She also writes non-fiction and lectures on the subjects of autism and sensory integration and is a medical contributor to online journal The Age of Autism.

For hundreds of years, dark clouds covered the skies of Adamah, and an ageless king ruled. Those who emerged with one of six extraordinary Shay powers were forced into the king’s army, an unmatched force with inhuman Strength, Speed, Accuracy, Perception, Empathy, and Healing. With the army behind him, the king—a man who wields all six abilities—was invincible and unquestioned in his rule. To most, serving the king was an honor. But for others, it was a fate worse than death.

When seventeen-year-old Nolan Trividar witnesses the transformation of his brother from kind to cruel after entering the king’s army, he vows never to follow the same path.

So when his own power—the Shay of Accuracy—comes upon him at the Tournament of Awakening, Nolan conceals his emergence instead of joining the king’s ranks. For years, he traitorously hides his power, pretending to be only a gifted scribe. But when Nolan comes face -to-face with a deserter, the man discovers his secret.

To evade detection and a death sentence, Nolan escapes with the deserter and flees into a night filled with dark creatures who steal both powers and souls. He joins a resistance, a village hidden deep in the forest, filled with others who secretly wield a Shay. But his peace is short-lived when they discover that the dark clouds, undead creatures, their own decreasing powers, and even the king, are all connected.

Kristal Shaff grew up with books (and used to drive her mom crazy when she wouldn’t leave the library); her first job was even shelving books at the library. She loves anything creative, and you can often find her exploring strange and fantastical worlds in her choices of movies and fantasy fiction. Kristal resides in Iowa with her farmer husband, numerous pets, and 3 awesome kids (plus one more on the way though the journey of adoption). When she isn’t writing, she is a professional face painter who enjoys making children smile.

Oct 30, 2014

Normal is so overrated. At least that’s what seventeen-year-old Kate Triumph tells herself everyday. But the truth is she lives in constant fear that someone will discover how not normal she really is. With her startling speed and her unusual ability to heal, Kate believes she’s something of a freak.

Then Andrew Shore arrives.

He claims he’s her father, sticks around for a few days and leaves her a plane ticket. “Come to Mercer Island,” he says. “Give me a chance to get to know you.” Soon Kate is floundering in a world of new: new address, new car, new high school and, of course, new father. Not to mention Zack, her intriguing new neighbor, who makes her want to abandon her steadfast rule of never allowing anyone to get too close. But when she discovers someone is trying to kill her, life for Kate gets a bit more complicated. And a lot less normal.

There
is always a story behind the story when it comes to writing a novel. With KATE TRIUMPH I was actually working on
something completely different when her name popped into my head. The name was
so strong and intense I knew she had to be something special. My husband
thought the name sounded like some kind of super hero but I didn’t want to
write a super hero. I wanted her to be amazing but I also wanted people to be
able to relate to her.

And
then it hit me. What if James Bond had a daughter? What if she was stronger and
quicker and all the things you’d have to be to do the things a spy would do,
and yet she’s living in the real world. Oh, and she’s seventeen. I knew she’d
have an overprotective parent, one who wouldn’t want anyone to know about her
abilities, and that Kate herself would feel like a freak.

And
once I knew these things I immediately had to abandon what I was originally
working on and move on to KATE. She was that insistent. When I finished the
book I thought I was done. But that wasn’t the case at all. She made it clear
she was edgier and a bit more vulnerable. Her sense of humor needed to come
through as well. Kate is definitely one of my favorite characters I’ve written.
All those years of watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Veronica Mars
definitely paid off. She’s spunky like Veronica and intense like Buffy. Not to
mention she will always win in a fight.

AUTHOR BIO:
Shari Arnold grew up in California and Utah but now resides in Connecticut, with her husband and two kids, where she finds it difficult to trust a beach without waves. She writes Young Adult fiction because it's her favorite. And occasionally she takes photographs.

Oct 29, 2014

With Halloween just around the corner, it is the perfect time for my top 10 scares. The list includes my fears, places and settings that creep the heck out of me and also my all time favourite horror show. All the scares listed are the things I am in search when I want to be terrified, which is usually everyday, since I am a horror junkie.

Halloween Scare #1

Clowns

This is my worst fear by far. But can you really blame me? It by Stephen King is the one movie that I don't think I will be able to watch again with the lights off.

Halloween Scare #2

Dolls

It all started with this guy. I watched the first movie, Child's Play, when I was 4 so you can guess that it really scared me and ever since then I am terrified of dolls. I re-watched the first movie a couple of years ago and even though it had some pretty cheesy moments I still loved it, because it still freaks me out.

Halloween Scare #3

Statues

Whenever there is a church in a movie I keep my eyes locked on the statues waiting for them to move.

Halloween Scare #4

Needles

I was originally not going to post a pic for this scare but I gathered all my courage and searched for the one that usually comes to mind when I think of needles. I can't even talk about it.

Halloween Scare #5

Freak Shows/Carnivals

Any type of Freak Show or Carnival scares me. That's why I try to visit them as much as possible. Also it might be because you can usually find clowns there.

Halloween Scare #6

Asylums/Hospitals

Any kind of places that I know bad things happened freaks me out. Dark corridors, secrets, insane patients... what more could I need?

Halloween Scare #7

Graveyards

There are dead people buried there. That's all there is to it.

Halloween Scare #8

Sewers

For me, sewers are like huge dark mazes that you don't know what you'll find behind each turn. Could be mice or a serial killer or even a bunch of vampires hiding from the sunlight.

Halloween Scare #9

Cabin in the Woods

Any book, movie or situation that has the Cabin in the Woods factor, meaning a remote place where a bunch of people find something that's probably going to kill them, is the perfect scare setting for me. Even though usually things are very predictable as the movie Cabin in the Woods satirizes, I still enjoy them.

Halloween Scare #10

Harper's Island (TV show)

This is a one season TV show that I watch each year around this time. It is amazing for horror fans. The first time I watched it it blew my mind. I never guessed what the hell was happening. Amazing.

Oct 28, 2014

This is the
complete Steampunk Fantasy novel - all four parts of the serial in one volume!

Human life has value.
The poor living in the gutter is as valuable as the rich living in a manor.
The scoundrel is no less valuable than the saint.
Because of this, every life a reaper takes must be redeemed.

Raven has lived by this first tenet since she was trained by her father to
become a reaper. But since his death, she’s been spending years redeeming the
lives she’s taken. By her count, she’s even and it’s time for that life to end.
If she settles down and becomes a wife, she might just feel human again. But on
the way to the life she thinks she wants, the baron of New Haven asks her to
complete a task which she cannot ignore… Just when Raven decides to give up on
her life as an assassin, she’s pulled right back in.

Two
sets of footsteps clipped across on the cobblestone. Before they rounded the
bend to the stable door, Raven’s fingers twitched over her knife. When she saw
Gorman and the younger baron, she relaxed and continued attaching her weapons.

She
smiled. “I’ve saved your life once and promise to do it as many times as
necessary.”

“Why?”

“It’s
the reaper’s way. A life for a life.”

“How
many have you killed?”

Raven
clinched her jaw. “Too many.” Her gaze met the butler’s. “Will he have his own
horse?”

“No.
The young master’s condition makes him subject to untimely fits. He would be in
danger of falling.” His ice blue eyes held a fire unmatched by his frozen
features.

“Right.
I expected as much.” She placed her boot in the stirrup and mounted. “Hand him
to me then.

The
butler lifted him to the front of her saddle. She knew it would be an
uncomfortable place to ride for a long period of time, but he’d only have to
make it to Gregory’s house. On a horse, it should only be about four hours if
they took it slow, less than three if needed.

A
horn sounded, and the butler paled. “It’s him. The duke approaches.”

“Father
is early.” The boy sounded happy but tentative.

Gorman
gripped the horse’s rein and turned it toward the other stable exit. “We must
leave by the north gate. The duke approaches from the south. You may have as
much as an hour’s head start before he commands a pursuit.”

Raven
swallowed hard. “That’s not enough time.”

“Follow
me.” He released the rein and jogged forward.

The
horse trotted in response. Even in the jarring up and down motion of the trot,
the young baron remained silent. He gripped the chestnut mare’s mane with both
hands. His knuckles glowed white under the lamps. Raven pulled gently on the
reins to slow the horse to a more tolerable speed but followed the butler
closely.

“Guards!”
Gorman reached the gates, speaking in breathless tones. “Baron Solomon orders
passage for this woman and the young baron.”

Raven
recognized Grant’s red band before he turned around. He narrowed his eyes at
her and barked the order to open the gate. Before she could urge her horse
forward, Grant gripped the bridle by the cheek piece. He called back toward the
butler, “Will she need guard?”

“That
will not be necessary. She is capable of caring for the young baron on his
errand.”

Even
in the half-light, Raven could see the guard’s jaw tighten and nostrils flare
in indecision. “Baron Solomon trusts this woman?”

The
butler frowned and stiffened in disapproval. Still he answered softly, “Yes,
with his brother’s life.”

About the Author

In simple language, Pauline Creeden creates worlds that are both familiar and strange, often pulling the veil between dimensions. She becomes the main character in each of her stories, and because she has ADD, she will get bored if she pretends to be one person for too long.

Pauline is a horse trainer from Virginia, but writing is her therapy.

Armored Hearts, her joint effort with author Melissa Turner Lee, has been a #1 Bestseller in Christian Fantasy and been awarded the Crowned Heart for Excellence by InDtale Magazine. Her debut novel, Sanctuary is scheduled for release September 30, 2013, and has already been nominated for two awards in YA Science Fiction.

One of Pauline's short stories has won the CCW Short Story contest. Other short stories have been published in Fear & Trembling Magazine, Obsidian River and Avenir Eclectia. An urban fantasy short will appear in The Book of Sylvari: An Anthology of Elves from Port Yonder Press, and a vampire short will appear in Monsters! from Diminished Media Group.

NEW RELEASE TODAY! Fans of the Percy Jackson Series will love this book!

Angus MacBain and the Agate Eyeglass

by Angela J. Townsend

ON SALE FOR $2.99 FOR 24 HOURS ONLY!

Series: The Angus MacBain Series (Book #2)

Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing

Release Date: TODAY!

Genre: Young Adult Adventure

CTP Content Rating: YAe

When Angus MacBain finds that a Sea Hag has cast a deadly spell on Vanora’s father, he must once again set aside his life in the outside world to plunge into danger to save his friend’s father. But when he seeks out Fane, advisor to the MacBain Kings, Angus discovers that Vanora’s father is not the only one in dire peril. Now with two souls in mortal danger, Angus and Vanora must face the unknown challenges of Fingal’s Cave alone this time—without the aid of his trusted advisor. But what new and dreadful dangers lurk in the Hall of Kings? Armed with only the ancient weapon of the MacBain Kings, the heirloom amber eyeglass, Angus is about to find out.

CHECK OUT BOOK #1 TODAY FOR FREE!

Angus MacBain and the Island of Sleeping Kings

by Angela J. Townsend

Angus MacBain is unaware that his ancestral roots hail from an ancient sect of Scottish kings. When his dying grandfather gives him a dragon pendant, thirteen-year-old Angus learns of a legacy that will take him across an ocean to the island of Iona and thrust him into a heritage he did not know he had. He soon discovers that his mother, whom he had believed dead, is really a seal fairy, in hiding from a dangerous enemy. To save her, Angus must undergo a perilous journey of destiny and power to battle an evil Dacian knight and those who serve him. With only his family shield and the advice of a wizened vampire hunter to protect him, Angus must navigate dangerous terrain and dark enemies, in a land where the past and the present mingle, and sleeping kings wake.

About Angela J. Townsend:

Angela Townsend was born in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Missoula, Montana. As a child, Angela grew up listening to stories told by her grandparents, ancient tales and legends of faraway places. Influenced by her Irish and Scottish heritage, Angela became an avid research historian, specializing in Celtic mythology. Her gift for storytelling finally led her to a full time career in historical research and writing. A writer in local community circulations, Angela is also a published genealogical and historical resource writer who has taught numerous research seminars. Currently, Angela divides her time between writing, playing Celtic music on her fiddle, and Irish dancing.

Angela's first novel, Amarok, was published through Spencer Hill Press in 2012. Her newest novel, Angus MacBain and The Island of Sleeping Kings, was signed for publication with Clean Teen Publishing in 2013.

Angela resides on a ranch, in rural Northwestern Montana, with her two children Levi and Grant.

With A Feast for Crows, Martin delivers the long-awaited fourth volume of the landmark series that has redefined imaginative fiction and stands as a modern masterpiece in the making.

After centuries of bitter strife, the seven powers dividing the land have beaten one another into an uneasy truce. But it's not long before the survivors, outlaws, renegades, and carrion eaters of the Seven Kingdoms gather. Now, as the human crows assemble over a banquet of ashes, daring new plots and dangerous new alliances are formed while surprising faces—some familiar, others only just appearing—emerge from an ominous twilight of past struggles and chaos to take up the challenges of the terrible times ahead. Nobles and commoners, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and sages, are coming together to stake their fortunes...and their lives. For at a feast for crows, many are the guests—but only a few are the survivors.

Burning Sky (Sora Gate, #1)
Now available on Wattpad
New chapters added every Tuesday.